Fifty Weeks, Fifty Curries: Week Three: Aab Gosht
I've been waiting for this one since I saw it while flipping through the book, because it's not only different from the Thai curry I always used to eat, it's also different from any curry I have ever eaten. Sure, the curries we usually eat are "milk"-based in that they use coconut milk, but that's not the same as using a dairy base. There's also a note in the beginning that this is one of the few curries in which no chilis are used at all, so I was curious what it would taste like.
Dairy sauce hooo! Doesn't that look good?
It was very good. We used whole milk and, like the recipe said, softlykarou used some of the stock left from cooking the meat and added it in. I think the meaty nature of the milk and stock mixture made it taste better when I dumped the remaining rice into it in order to mop it all up, even though I was initially suspicious when she told me that the recipe called for it. A lot like Rogan Josh (how long until I stop referencing that one, I wonder?), the sauce was the standout bit here.
Lamb lamb lamb lamb lamb lamb lamb lamb...
Not that the meat was bad! The lamb was actually very tender and complimented the milk sauce really well...but it was also annoyingly bony and required a lot of pre-eating prep so I could just use a spoon and not have to deal with bones and other annoyances. I understand why almost all the recipes in this book have lamb, since the author states straight out that she's trying to make a compromise between Hindu versions of the recipe (which don't use beef) and Muslim versions (which don't use pork), but I think we might have to modify some to include stew beef. If I had to complain about an aspect of this dish, it'd be the technical aspects of eating it. The actual taste aspects were top-notch.
Mixed juices and milk sauce. It was fantastic, flavorful with no spice necessary.
Words from the Chef
Admittedly seeing a curry with no chilies or ginger or garlic made me skeptical. I've never cooked meat in milk before (my Jewish ancestors are rolling in their grave) so I was really worried I would screw something up. I have to admit it was very different to have a rich curry with no spice and it didn't really feel like curry night (yes, American here...). I liked the sauce a lot, but I'm with dorchadas in that I'm kind of done with the stew lamb. I understand the recipe is meant to be cooked with it but it's just not quite enough.
The finished meal, including jasmine rice and sautéed collard greens.
I really liked it! We both keep harping on the lamb bones because that's really the only bad thing there was about it, and rather than throwing some of the sauce away, I suggested to softlykarou that we save it and use it with some chicken tomorrow and see how that tastes. It's a milk sauce and we obvious don't want to keep it around too long, but leaving it for one day isn't going to ruin anything. Hopefully it's just as good with chicken poached it in as it is with the lamb.
Would I Eat It Again?: Yes
Do I Prefer It to the Usual Thai Curry?: ...maybe. I'd want to try it with some other meats to be sure, and I wouldn't want to totally replace Thai curry, but I could see this entering a regular rotation.
What Would I Change?: Not use lamb.
Dairy sauce hooo! Doesn't that look good?
It was very good. We used whole milk and, like the recipe said, softlykarou used some of the stock left from cooking the meat and added it in. I think the meaty nature of the milk and stock mixture made it taste better when I dumped the remaining rice into it in order to mop it all up, even though I was initially suspicious when she told me that the recipe called for it. A lot like Rogan Josh (how long until I stop referencing that one, I wonder?), the sauce was the standout bit here.
Lamb lamb lamb lamb lamb lamb lamb lamb...
Not that the meat was bad! The lamb was actually very tender and complimented the milk sauce really well...but it was also annoyingly bony and required a lot of pre-eating prep so I could just use a spoon and not have to deal with bones and other annoyances. I understand why almost all the recipes in this book have lamb, since the author states straight out that she's trying to make a compromise between Hindu versions of the recipe (which don't use beef) and Muslim versions (which don't use pork), but I think we might have to modify some to include stew beef. If I had to complain about an aspect of this dish, it'd be the technical aspects of eating it. The actual taste aspects were top-notch.
Mixed juices and milk sauce. It was fantastic, flavorful with no spice necessary.
Words from the Chef
Admittedly seeing a curry with no chilies or ginger or garlic made me skeptical. I've never cooked meat in milk before (my Jewish ancestors are rolling in their grave) so I was really worried I would screw something up. I have to admit it was very different to have a rich curry with no spice and it didn't really feel like curry night (yes, American here...). I liked the sauce a lot, but I'm with dorchadas in that I'm kind of done with the stew lamb. I understand the recipe is meant to be cooked with it but it's just not quite enough.
The finished meal, including jasmine rice and sautéed collard greens.
I really liked it! We both keep harping on the lamb bones because that's really the only bad thing there was about it, and rather than throwing some of the sauce away, I suggested to softlykarou that we save it and use it with some chicken tomorrow and see how that tastes. It's a milk sauce and we obvious don't want to keep it around too long, but leaving it for one day isn't going to ruin anything. Hopefully it's just as good with chicken poached it in as it is with the lamb.
Would I Eat It Again?: Yes
Do I Prefer It to the Usual Thai Curry?: ...maybe. I'd want to try it with some other meats to be sure, and I wouldn't want to totally replace Thai curry, but I could see this entering a regular rotation.
What Would I Change?: Not use lamb.